Self-mailer



Sept 20 1965 l. c.. BECKMAN ETAL 3,273,785

SELF-MAILER Filed March 25, 1965 FIGI Il) IIITI M TL r1: ms 2 /r w /w 1l l l :VIII ||||1||||||||x| O O O O O O O O O/O 4 O O O 2L 1 UnitedStates Patent Oiice 3,273,785 Patented Slept. 20, 1966 3,273,7sSELF-MAILER Irving C. Beckman and Alex Morrell Beerbohm, HuntingtonWoods, Mich. (Both of 30105 Stephenson High- Way, Madison Heights,Mich.)

Filed Mar. 2s, 1955, ser. No. 442,663 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-69) Thisapplication relates to a self-mailer and more particularly a self-mailerwhich may be made in a continuous form and thereafter severed intoseparate mailers, and which includes as a part thereof a removable cardportion which bears a name and address and thus functions rst as theaddressing portion of the self-mailer and second, after mailing, as aseparate addressed card of the credit card type.

In mailing cards, such as credit cards, such cards must usually beimprinted with a name, address, and other information and thereafter arenormally inserted in addressed envelopes for mailing to the ultimateuser. Such double addressing and handling is time consuming andexpensive.

Hence, it is an object of this invention to provide a selfmailercomprised generally of two parts, namely an outer envelope-likecontainer and a card within the container, with a portion of the cardbeing exposed for imprinting a name and address `and the like thereon,after assembly of the self-mailer parts, for mailing the selfmailer aswell as for ultimate use of the card separate from the self-mailer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a selfmailer made as acontinuous form which includes Ias a part thereof small cards, and whichcan conveniently be manufactured and addressed on automatic machineryand thereafter severed or burst into individual mailing units, fromwhich the addressee may remove the addressed card portion.

Another object is to provide a novel self-mailer, preferably oflightweight paper card stock, which can be formed onautomatic machineryand containing, as a part thereof, a card of different material, such asplastic, which can be machine imprinted, all as part of a continuousform.

For an understanding of the continuous form and mailers hereof,reference should be had to the speci-fication which follows and Iwhichrefers to the appended drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is -a half scale plan view of a small part of a continuous form;and also shows, in plan, an individual self-mailer.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, as if in section on line 2 2, FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are exploded views of parts of a mailer.

FIG. 5 is a reduced size perspective view of `a continuous form.

The drawing shows a mailer 9 which comprises two long and narrowregistered upper and lower sheets 10 and 11 of substantial length,measured horizontally, but rather narrow, measured vertically. At thelong edges 12, the sheets are sealed to each other by any suitableadhesive means such as adjacent spots of adhesive 13, spaced inwardlyslightly from tear lines 12. The adhesive is of a nature permittingquick and easy separation of sheets 10 and 11. At the short edges 15,the sheets 1t) and 11 are sealed to each other by stripes of adhesive14.

At both short edges 15 are lines of closely and uniformly spaced holes16 for registering with teeth of printing feed rollers.

At one short edge 15, on upper sheet 10 only, is a hinge or score line17. At the other short edge 15, on

sheets 11141, are registered tear lines 1S and 19, defining a tear strip20.

Within and forming a part of the mailer 9, is a small sized card 21, ofa material different than that of the stock of sheets 1041. The lattermay be of paper or light weight card stock, whereas card 21 ispreferably of a firm plastic stock, such as commonly used today forcredit cards. Card 21 is secured removably to lower sheet `11 by anadhesive area 22 of a nature and composition permitting quick and easyremoval of the card, without defacing or marring the removed card orleaving a residue on it. A portion 24 of plastic card 21 is surfaced ina manner to receive printing thereon, permanently and legibly. Theprinting may be applied to portion 24 of card 21 through a registeringopening 26 in the front or top sheet 10; this can be done after card 21is mounted on and adhesively secured to the bottom sheet 11 and afterthe top sheet is secured to the bottom sheet.

It will be understood that the various surfaces of the sheets may beprinted with various items of information.

Small holes 16 at short edges 15 ofthe card containing sealedself-mailer 9 enable it to be fed automatically through a printingmachine or a printing part of a computing, addressing or other machine,which prints the name and address of the ultimate consumer on surf-ace34 of card 21, exposed through opening 26? in top sheet y10.

With card 21 adhesively secured inside the self-mailer 9, and mailer 9sealed at all four edges, and the necessary name and address on portion24 visible through opening 26, the device becomes a suitably sealedselfmailer. No envelope or wrapper is required, since the device hereshown is itself a sealed self-mailer.

Upon receipt of the sealed mailer by the customer or ultimate consumer,he tears off tear strip 20 at one short edge 15 on lines 1849; andeasily hinges back top sheet 10 on foldline 17. Then the printableinstruction surfaces on the inside of mailer 9 are visible as is card'2-1 itself, which can now be separated instantly from sheet 11 andremoved quickly and easily by the c-onsumer, without being marred ordefaced by the adhesive in area 22 which had removably secured the cardto sheet 11, and leaving no adhesive residue on card 21.

The continuous form The continuous form, FIGS. 5 rand 1,I 'comprisescontinuous upper and lower sheets 10 and 11 having at each continuousedge 15 uniformly and closely spaced holes 16 for receiving teeth -ofprinting feed rolls. Uniformly spaced along the form on both sheets are,registering transverse tear lines 12. Quickly and easily separableadhesive in the form of spots 13 are also as shown. Each portion of thecontinuous form between `a pair of such lines 12 may be severed or burstoff the continuous strip to form a single mailer 9 `such as has justbeen described. In the continuous form, adhesive stripes 14 at :shortedges 15 of mailers 9 are joined to form continuous stripes of adhesive.

An important aspect of the device herein described is the size relationof the parts. Inserted card 21 is small, preferably wallet size, 3%" x21/8, approximately, because this size has been found acceptable. On theother hand, mailer 9 ris considerably longer and wider, about 8 X 31/2",a size that enables the continuous form to be made by existingcomputing, addressing, etc., machinery and to have the consumers nameand address imprinted by existing printing machinery or printing partsof larger machinery.

If sheets 1tl11 were of the same small length dimension as cards 21, thesheets would be too small to run through machinery for being formed intocontinuous forms and for being printed and for having the imprintingdone on the cards. If cards 21 were made of the larger size, to

3 match the size of sheets -11, the cards would be unacceptably largefor consumer use.

The use of the continuous form avid the individual mailers A cardmanufacturer ships a supply of cards 21, preferably with theirimprintable .portions 24 left blank, to a manufacturer of forms.

A forms manufacturer, using automatic machinery, manufactures acontinuous form comprising upper and lower sheets 10-11 with cards 21spotted between them at uniform intervals, one card per pai-r oftransverse tear lines 12, with the continuous strip having continuousstripes 14 of adhesive at its edges 15, a continuous fold line 1'7 onthe top sheet, continuous tear lines 18-19 on the top and bottom ysheetsforming continuous tear strips 20, registering holes 16, and alinedopenings 26. The printing on the forms, wherever desired and on whateversurfaces and portions of surfaces desired, may be done at or prior tothe manufacture of the forms themselves. The assembly of the cards andthe sheets is also accomplished during the manufacture of the continuousforms.

Ultimately, there is manufactured a continuous form which -may be foldedin zig-zag fashion, as is preferable, on transverse lines 12. There arefold lines for the folding of the form into zig-zag fashion but theyalso become tear lines when the individual mailers are to be severed.

Manufactured continuous forms, preferably in zig-zag condition, areshipped to a purchaser of continuous forms, who then runs them throughimprinting machinery to imprint on portions 24 of the cards, the namesand addresses of t'he ultimate consumers to whom he will be mailing themailers. Thereupon the continuous form is burst or severed intoindividual mailers 9 by having the form torn across on tear lines 12.Mailers 9 are then ready to be mailed to the ultimate consumers.

When he receives a mailer, he tears off tear strip 20 on lines 18-19 atone short edge, folds back top sheet (FIG. 4) or cover sheet 10 on foldline 17, and now has exposed the instructions printed inside the mailerand also has exposed for easy removal the contained card 21 having hisname and address on it at 24.

Now having described the card mailer and the continuous form hereindisclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

We claim:

1. A continuous burstable printing form for permitting high speedcomputerized printing `of small or wallet size stiff plastic cardcomponents thereof, such ias are conventionally used `as identificationand credit cards; with the form being burstable into individual cardcontaining self mailers;

said form comprising long continuous registered upper and lower webs ofpaper or light card stock;

the webs having horizontal tear lines uniformly spaced 4along the formand extending from one vertical continuous edge to the other to enablethe form to be burst on such tear lines int-o rectangular individual twoply card mailers; there being horizontally arranged adhesive spots ineach individual mailer between but also adjacent the horizontal tearlines and spaced inwardly from the ho-rizontal edges of said mailer forremovably sealing together the plies thereof adjacent the tear lines;

the remaining or vertical edges of the mailer, transverse to the tearlines, also being sealed, whereby the mailer is sealed completely on allits edges while still part of the form;

each mailer, while still a part of the form, `containing as a component,between its sealed together plies and adhesively but removably securedtherein, one small or wallet size stiff heavy stock rectangularprintable plastic card such as is conventionally used `as anidentification or credit card; the length and width of each mailer beingconsiderably greater than the length and width of the card thereof, withthe card being so positioned that all four edges of the card are wellspaced from all four edges of the mailer;

and with all cards being uniformly spaced and in alinement in the formfor printing continuously; the upper web having uniformly spaced alinedwindow openings, one at each card to enable the exposed parts of thecards to be printed through the openings;

with each opening being smaller than the card beneath it so that edgesof the card are covered and protected by the upper web;

the adhesive spots being between the horizontal edges of the card andthe horizontal edges of the mailer; the mailer also hav-ing at eachvertical edge a vertical .line of uniformly and closely spaced holes.

2. A continuous burstable printing form according to claim 1 whereineach mailer has vertical `score lines on at least the upper ply, shortdistances in from its sealed vertical edges, :and extending from onehorizontal tear line to the other;

said adhesive spots being of a nature to permit nondestructiveseparation of the upper ply from the lower ply when the upper ply -istorn on either or both score lines, to expose the mounted card thereinwithout defacing the interior surfaces of the mailer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,334,413 l1/1943Kerr 229-71 3,104,799 9/ 1963 Steidinger 229-69 3,111,258 11/1963Perlstein 229-923 3,140,816 7/ 1964 Schultz 229-69 3,181,774 5/1965Littman 229-71 X JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. M. BOCKENEK, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CONTINUOUS BURSTABLE PRINTING FORM FOR PERMITTING HIGH SPEEDCOMPUTERIZED PRINTING OF SMALL OR WALLET SIZE STIFF PLASTIC CARDCOMPONENTS THEREOF, SUCH AS ARE CONVENTIONALLY USED AS IDENTIFICATIONAND CREDIT CARDS; WITH THE FORM BEING BURSTABLE INTO INDIVIDUAL CARDCONTAINING SELF MAILERS; SAID FORM COMPRISING LONG CONTINUOUS REGISTEREDUPPER AND LOWER WEBS OF PAPER OR LIGHT CARD STOCK; THE WEBS HAVINGHORIZONTAL TEAR LINES UNIFORMLY SPACED ALONG THE FORM AND EXTENDING FROMONE VERTICAL CONTINUOUS EDGE TO THE OTHER TO ENABLE THE FORM TO BE BURSTON SUCH TEAR LINES INTO RECTANGULAR INDIVIDUAL TWO PLY CARD MAILERS;THERE BEING HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED ADHESIVE SPOTS IN EACH INDIVIDUALMAILER BETWEEN BUT ALSO ADJACENT THE HORIZONTAL TEAR LINES AND SPACEDINWARDLY FROM THE HORIZONTAL EDGES OF SAID MAILER FOR REMOVABLY SEALINGTOGETHER THE PLIES THEREOF ADJACENT THE TEAR LINES; THE REMAINING ORVERTICAL EDGES OF THE MAILER, TRANSVERSE TO THE TEAR LINES, ALSO BEINGSEALED, WHEREBY THE MAILER IS SEALED COMPLETELY ON ALL ITS EDGES WHILESTILL PART OF THE FORM; EACH MAILER, WHILE STILL A PART OF THE FORM,CONTAINING AS A COMPONENT, BETWEEN ITS SEALED TOGETHER PLIES ANDADHESIVELY BUT REMOVABLY SECURED THEREIN, ONE SMALL OR WALLET SIZE STIFFHEAVY STOCK RECTANGULAR PRINTABLE PLASTIC CARD SUCH AS IS CONVENTIONALLYUSED AS AN IDENTIFICATION OR CREDIT CARD; THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF EACHMAILER BEING CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF THE CARDTHEREOF, WITH THE CARD BEING SO POSITIONED THAT ALL FOUR EDGES OF THECARD ARE WELL SPACED FROM ALL FOUR EDGES OF THE MAILER; AND WITH ALLCARDS BEING UNIFORMLY SPACED AND IN ALINEMENT IN THE FORM FOR PRINTINGCONTINUOUSLY; THE UPPER WEB HAVING UNIFORMLY SPACED ALINED WINDOWOPENINGS, ONE AT EACH CARD TO ENABLE THE EXPOSED PARTS OF THE CARDS TOBE PRINTED THROUGH THE OPENINGS; WITH EACH OPENING BEING SMALLER THANTHE CARD BENEATH IT SO THAT EDGES OF THE CARD ARE COVERED AND PROTECTEDBY THE UPPER WEB; THE ADHESIVE SPOTS BEING BETWEEN THE HORIZONTAL EDGESOF THE CARD AND THE HORIZONTAL EDGES OF THE MAILER; THE MAILER ALSOHAVING AT EACH VERTICAL EDGE A VERTICAL LINE OF UNIFORMLY AND CLOSELYSPACED HOLES.